Difference between revisions of "Holotopia"
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<p>A <em>methodology</em> is in essence a toolkit; any sort of rules could do, as long as they give us the insights we need. We, however, defined <em>polyscopy</em> by turning the core findings in 20th century science into conventions. (While a thorough <em>federation</em> was conducted, Einstein's "Autobiographical Notes" alone were sufficient for our purpose.) In this way we repaired the severed link between information and action <em>also in this fundamental domain</em>, where scientific findings meet the popular worldview.</p> | <p>A <em>methodology</em> is in essence a toolkit; any sort of rules could do, as long as they give us the insights we need. We, however, defined <em>polyscopy</em> by turning the core findings in 20th century science into conventions. (While a thorough <em>federation</em> was conducted, Einstein's "Autobiographical Notes" alone were sufficient for our purpose.) In this way we repaired the severed link between information and action <em>also in this fundamental domain</em>, where scientific findings meet the popular worldview.</p> | ||
| − | <p>The <em> | + | <p>The <em>methodology</em> definition is conceived as a handful of crisp and very brief aphorismic axioms; by using [[truth by convention|<em>truth by convention</em>]], we gave them exact interpretation that is needed.</p> |
| + | <p>The first axiom defines <em>information</em> as "recorded experience". It is thereby made explicit that the substance communicated by information is not "reality", but human experience. Furthermore, since human experience can be recorded in a variety of ways (a chair is a record of human experience related to sitting and chair making), the notion of <em>information</em> vastly surpasses written documents.</p> | ||
| − | + | <p>The second axiom postulates that the [[scope|<em>scope</em>]] (the way we look) determines the <em>view</em> (what is seen). According to this axiom, in <em>polyscopy</em> the experience (and "reality" or whatever is "behind" experience) does not have an a priori structure. We <em>attribute</em> a structure to it with the help of our concepts and other elements of our <em>scope</em>. </p> | |
| − | <p> | + | <p>In <em>polyscopy</em> we did not talk about knowledge; <em>knowledge federation</em> was developed later. We may now improvise a new axiom.</p> |
| − | <blockquote> | + | <blockquote><em>Knowledge</em> must be <em>federated</em></blockquote> |
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| + | <p>This axiom only expresses clearly the intuitive or conventional idea of "knowledge": If we should ever be able to say that we "know" something, we must <em>federate</em> not only the supporting evidence, but also potential counter-evidence—and hence <em>information</em> in general. This, of course is what the academic peer reviews are all about; the difference is that they are always limited to a certain domain of science—that that is exactly the difference that <em>general</em> federation of knowledge can no longer afford.</p> | ||
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| + | <p>An explicitly defined <em>general purpose methodology</em> introduces to knowledge work the kind of change that constitutional democracy introduced to political and legal practice. Even a most hated criminal has the right for a fair trial; similarly, even a most implausible idea or experience has the right to be <em>federated</em>. Based on this simple rule of thumb, we would, for instance, be advised to <em>not</em> ignore Buddhism because we don't find it appealing, or because we don't believe in reincarnation. The work of <em>knowledge federation</em> is here similar to the work of a dutiful attorney—it is to carefully sift through the heritage, find pieces that we <em>may</em> need to integrate; and support them with a convincing case.</p> | ||
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| + | <p>The overall goal, "to restore agency to information, and power to knowledge", can now be served by <em>federating</em> ideas into general insights or principles or rules of thumb—which inform, and point to action; and into <em>prototypes</em>—through which they directly impact <em>the systems in which we live and work.</p> | ||
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| + | <p>A <em>methodology</em> allows us to state explicitly what being "informed" means. We modeled this intuitive notion with the keyword [[gestalt|<em>gestalt</em>]]. To be "informed", one needs to have a <em>gestalt</em> that is appropriate to one's situation. "Our house is on fire" is a canonical example. The knowledge of <em>gestalt</em> is profoundly different from knowing only the data (the room temperatures, CO2 levels etc.). The situation we are in may now be understood as a result of being uninformed (of <em>not</em> organizing the data in a way that points to correct action). </p> | ||
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| + | <p><em>Polyscopy</em> offers a collection of techniques for communicating and 'proving' or <em>justifying</em> general or <em>high-level</em> insights and claims. <em>Knowledge federation</em> is conceived as the social process by which such insights can be created and maintained.</p> | ||
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| + | <p>The <em>holotopia</em> <em>prototype</em> is conceived as a way to <em>federate</em> this new thinking further—and give it agency.</p> | ||
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<p><em>Polyscopy</em>, for instance, specifies that for "knowledge" to be real knowledge, <em>information</em> must be <em>federated</em>. This means that we must abolish the habit of throwing out whatever fails to fit our "scientific worldview", or <em>socialized reality</em> or <em>narrow frame</em>. "Knowledge" maintained by <em>ignoring</em> counter-evidence does not merit that name. </p> | <p><em>Polyscopy</em>, for instance, specifies that for "knowledge" to be real knowledge, <em>information</em> must be <em>federated</em>. This means that we must abolish the habit of throwing out whatever fails to fit our "scientific worldview", or <em>socialized reality</em> or <em>narrow frame</em>. "Knowledge" maintained by <em>ignoring</em> counter-evidence does not merit that name. </p> | ||
Revision as of 06:06, 27 August 2020
HOLOTOPIA
An Actionable Strategy
Imagine...
You are about to board a bus for a long night ride, when you notice the flickering streaks of light emanating from two wax candles, placed where the headlights of the bus are expected to be. Candles? As headlights?
Of course, the idea of candles as headlights is absurd. So why propose it?
Because on a much larger scale this absurdity has become reality.
The Modernity ideogram renders the essence of our contemporary situation by depicting our society as an accelerating bus without a steering wheel, and the way we look at the world, try to comprehend and handle it as guided by a pair of candle headlights.
Modernity ideogram